European Union Summary

The European Union (EU) was established in Rome in 1950. Currently, The EU has 25 Member States Initially, the EU consisted of just six countries: Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined in 1973, Greece in 1981, Spain and Portugal in 1986, Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1995. In 2004 the biggest ever enlargement took place with 10 new eastern and southern European countries joining.

The European Union is based on the rule of law and democracy. It is neither a sovereign state nor is it an international organization. Under the EU Treaty, Member States have delegated sovereignty to the EU’s common institutions which are to represent the interests of the Union as a whole in specific areas of joint interest. All decisions and procedures are regulated in the basic treaties ratified by the Member States.

The EU is run by five institutions, each playing a specific role:

• The European Parliament (whose members are elected by the people of the Member States)
  
• The Council of the Union (composed of the executive governments of the Member States)
  
• The European Commission (the driving force and executive body)
  
• The Court of Justice (the judiciary)
  
• The Court of Auditors (which monitors lawful management of the EU budget)

The European Commission, Directorate General for the Environment, is the main initiator of Environmental regulation. It is now recognized that the European model of development cannot be based on the depletion of natural resources and the deterioration of our environment. Environmental action by the Community began in 1972 with four successive action programs, based on a vertical and sectoral approach to ecological problems. During this period, the Community adopted some 200 pieces of legislation, chiefly concerned with limiting pollution by introducing minimum standards, notably for waste management, water pollution and air pollution. A further step was taken in 1999 with the Treaty of Amsterdam , which enshrines the principle of sustainable development as one of the EU's aims and requires a high degree of environmental protection. The Community institutions are now obliged to take account of environmental considerations in all other policies. The Sixth Action Program for the Environment , which is currently being adopted, sets out the priorities for the European Community up to 2010. Four areas are highlighted: climate change, nature and biodiversity, environment and health, and the management of natural resources and waste. Measures to achieve these priorities include improving the application of environmental legislation, working together with the market and citizens and ensuring that other Community policies take greater account of environmental considerations.


Authors:

Prof. Lucas Bergkamp Hunton & Williams More Info | Email

Site Contact Jeff Hannah Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) More Info | Email